The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-03-03
READY TO SWING SHINGLES.
Thirty-Fiye New Doctors Turned Out
into the World to War with Disease.
Large Attendance Last Evening at the Grad
mating Exercises of the Medical College
of fntiaffa-Df. Wrights Address.

The seventeenth annual commencement exer-
cises Of the Medical College of Indiana were held
last night at Dickson's Grand Opera the
friends of the college and of the graduates filing
the house. the audience being the largest ever
gathered at a medical commencement in this
city. The invocation was by Rev. George L.
Curtiss, hruself graduate in medicine OF this
college. Prof. Thomas B. Harvey presented the
annual prizes for scholarship, the Mears gold
medal prize being awarded to Ross s. John. OF
Port jefferson, o., and the Taylor anatomical
prize pocketcase of surgical instruments, to
Miss Mary A. Sphinx. of this city. The gradu-
ting class, thirty five in number, was a fine
looking and intelligent array of students The
grade OF examination was higher than ever be-
fore in the college Among the graduates were
three ladies' Marie Louise Holloway Laura e.
Boyd .ad Mary A. Sphinx. The two ladies last
named have been attendants and night nurses at
the Hospital for the Insane under DR..
Fletcher. Miss Sphinx who took the
anatomical prize, is credited with genius
in fine dissections, microscopic work and in pre-
pairing specimens. Prof Harvey, in presenting
her the prize. made special mention of her dis
sections of an arm and of brains. Instrumental
music was furnished by NIillers orchestra and
Zumpfe's juvenile orchestra junior class, and
vocal music by quartet composed of Mrs A.
Smith, Miss L. Weegman, Mr.. A. Smith and
Dir. f. Looms. James Whitcomb Riley recited
ais poem, character sketch of honelv pathos,
untitled Goodbye Jim; Take Care of Your
SELF Prof. Joseph W. Marsee, in appropri-
ate speech. conferred the degree of doctor, pre-
sentng the accompanying diploma TO Joshua
Curtis Ashcraft, Lyman NJ. Beckes Richard F.
Bigger, Laura e. Boyd, Chas. Almon Carter,
Stephen Cox, Albert Eisenbeiss. James NJ. Eli
son, VIM. Gray. Abraham ". Green, Theodore
w. Helming, Samuel Worthngton Hervey, Ma
rie Louise Holloway, Ross Shinn john, Ebert
Haywood Johnson, Alfred Burlingame Jones,
Chas Monroe Keeling. Frank SIlas Morris, VIM.
q. McClurg, John H. McKibben Albert McKit-
rick, Russell A. Roberts. David Wilbur Robert
son, Robert Alonzo Smith. Henry Bloomfield
Shul George Lawrence Spalding, Mary Angela
Sphinx. Geo. I. Stansifer. Geo. Kenton Sites,
VIM. S Walker George Thomas Williams, Key
Ion Hunter Williams, Amos Lee Wilson, W.
Lester Wilson and Frederick Clark Woodburn.
'sThe Physician and the People was the sub
jeot OF the address by Dr. G. E. Wright. the
dean OF the faculty. It was full OF timely and
Sitting suggestions, gracefully and forcibly ex-
pressed, with a vein of humor through it. and
was received with evident appreciation. After
appropriate alluson to the graduates, and after
bespeaking for them kindly reception by the
public in the beginning of their medical careers,
DIR. Wright spoke of the physician mans
best ami truest friend. HE welcomes YOU
of collie and choler into the world. He is with
you in prosperity and adversely. In gladness
and in sadness his warm grasp comforts and con.
soles you. He mourns with you in bereavement
and is the repository of your most solemn
secrets" Contagion. exposure and neglect of
hygienic rules in their own behalf contribute to
shortening the lives of doctors and reduce their
average TO thirty five years, while that of
medical authors is sixty nine years. The prac-
tics Of medicine is not regulated by survival Of
Che fitest but by survival of the toughest.
Medical attendants should he chosen not because
Hbey belong to any peculiar ism" or ''pathy."
mot because they belong to any particular
church society because their medicine is
itasteless. but because they are honest con.
scentious, studious, CAPABLE of giving treat
ment fully up to the times and fearless
in doing their duty. Do not patronize the
pseudo medical tramps and the advertising
cuacks 1t is not from motives OF Jealousy that
1he profession oppose the lying pretensions OF
these iinpostors. who prey upon the fears and
ignorance Of the people. but because doctors are
better able than others to recognize their de-
ceptive practices. The pulpit is largely respon-
sible for the success of these dastardly drones.
There is no empirical compound which is not
vorahed for in absurd certificates of impossible
cures by Rev. Mr. qualification, Rev Pectoral
Balm Rev. Bunion Hemorrhoid. Preachers
the most persistent patrons of and apologists
for charlatanism. Mercenary motives prompt
the press to uphold the pretensions of these
perambulating pill peddlers whose chief claim
to distinction lies in lavish expenditure fol
printers ink. Quackery is tolerated in Other
profession as it is in medicine. Employ an hon
est doctor and believe what he tells you. If III
says that you do not need medicine, do not TAKE
any. Do. not weary your physician with useless
details of case, but give concise and truthful
answers to his systematic and intelligent ques
tons. Withholding nothing of personal or family
history that may possibly throw light on tn,
nature of the malady. Do not expect impossi
biities to be accomplished, but give the doctor
fair chance to prove his powers, and do not for
sake him after he has conducted you t
convalescence. IL your doctor is ignorant ant
neglectful dismiss him and secure the service
of who will give you proper and intelligen
treatment. While diseases are sometimes NOR
severe at night, and these conditions necessitat
immediate attention, fully two-thlrds of al
night calls are unnecessary, and are GENERALLY
more wasteful of the doctors vital energies thai
productive of good to the patient Do not max
bugaboo of the doctor to brighten unruy chi
tren for when he will want to have them quiet
10 order to determine their ailments. they vii
DO trembling in paroxysms of fear. Trust you
sioctor-not, perhaps, as he trusts you, imam
ciaily-but give him your confidence, and res
assured he will not betray it.
In his remarks to the members of the gradual
ing class DIR. Wright reminded them that in CT
tering the profession they were granted amen
ties and assumed responsibilities to the people
while their conduct heretofore had applied onl,
so themselves they must now modify their way
20 suit their altered surroundings He advise
1hem to not believe in all the medical superst
lions and myths-scrofu!a, hydrophobia taran,
Ism and like troubles--which have been handle
down from past centuries, and still exist, lik
tramps, without visible means of support. I'D
not he said, encourage that species OF fami
iarity which warrants people in calling 20
Johnnie or Jimmie or in bobtailng your tit
by calling you Dick. Do not attempt to e,
md nd